Suction polisher



Nov.14,1967 M WHELMv 3,351,972

SUCTION POLISHER Filed Dec. 28, 1964 4 sheets-sheet 1 Nov. 1.4, 1967 M. W. HELM SUCTION POLISHER Filed'neo. 28, 1964 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 NOV. 14, 1967 M, W, HELM 3,351,972

SUCTION POLISHER Filed Deo. 28, 1964 4 sheets-sheet sv Nov. 14, 1967 M, w', HELM 3,351,972 l sUGTIoN PoLIs'HER Filed Deo'. 28, 1964 v 4 sheets-sheet 4 Patented Nov. 14, 1967 3,351,972 SUCTION POLISHER Mark W. Helm, Canton, Ohio, assigner to The Hoover Company, North Canton, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Filed Dec. 28, 1964, Ser. No. 421,174 2 Claims. (Cl. 15-385) This application relates to a floor conditioning device of the suction-polisher type. Such a device includes a power driven rotary brush tfor polishing waxed floors and a suction nozzle for removing loose dirt from a floor. Devices of this type are especially adapted for domestic use, and it is desirable that the size and cost of such devices be kept as small as possible. Therefore, it is conventional practice to employ small fractional horse power motors of the universal type Iwhich operate at very high speeds. Thus, the suction fan may be connected directly to the motor shaft but it is necessary to provide a speed reducing drive connection between the motor shaft and the rotating brush. It is desirable that the speed reducing drive 'be sealed against contamination by dirt or liquid thrown about by the rotating brush. It is also desirable to seal the speed reducing mechanism against contamination by dirt passing throu-gh the suction chambers of the device.

Therefore, it is an object of this invention to arrange the elements of a suction-polishing device in such a manner that the danger of contaminating the speed reducing mechanism with dirt is virtually eliminated.

It is a further object of this invention to arrange the elements of a suction-polishing device in such a manner that there are no rotary shafts extending through the suction passages on which strings or other articles may become tangled to reduce the eillciency of or damage the device.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a suction-polisher having a simple one-piece support member on which -all the other elements are assembled in a novel and advantageous manner.

It is an additional object of this invention to provide a sucti-on-polisher with a floating suction nozzle having means connected thereto for automatically maintaining the nozzle in its lmost eillcient position.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent as the description proceeds when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIGURE l is a side elevational view of a suctionpolisher having the advantageous features of the present invention embodied therein.

FIGURE 2 is a front elevational view of the suctionpolisher of FIGU'RE 1 with parts in section for clarity.

FIGURE 3 is a side sectional elevation taken on line 3 3 of FIGURE 2 with parts removed vfor clarity.

FIGURE 4 is a partial secti-on on line 4 4 of FIG- URE 2. i

FIGURE 5 is a bottom view -of the motor support and gear housing cover taken in the direction of arrows 5 5 of FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 6 is a top view of the single support member taken in the direction of arrows 6 6 of FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 7 is a bottom view of the single support member taken in the direction of arrows 7 7 of FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 8 is a top plan view of -the fan chamber cover taken in the direction of arrows 8 8 in FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 9 is a sectional view taken on line 9 9 of FIGURE 6.

FIGURE 10 is a top view taken in the 4direction of arrows 10 10 of FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 11 is a rear view taken in the direction of arrows 11 11 of FIGURE 3 and with parts removed for clarity.

yReferring now to the drawing FIGURE 1 shows a suction polishing device whi-ch is generally indicated by numeral 2. The device comprises a main body portion including a housing 3 covering a motor and driving mechanism for rotating brushes as at 4. Attached to a supporting member are a handle 5, wheel assembly 6, suction nozzle 7 and dirt storing bag 8. FIGURE 3 shows the arrangement of parts in the 4main body portion of the device. A single supporting member 9 has a speed reducing gear housing 10 formed on its top surface. Gear housing 10 is closed by a combined cover member and motor support 11. The bottom of support 9 defines a fan chamber 12 with cover member 13. A hollow elbow 14 attached to cover member 13 connects nozzle 7 to fan chamber 12 through a flexible hose 15. A fractional horsepower universal motor 16 is mounted in bearings 17 and 18. Bearing 17 is mounted in member 11, and bearing 18 is mounted in mot-or cover and supporting member 19 which is bolted to member 11. A motor cooling fan 31 draws air through openings in the top of member 19 and discharges it through outlet Ztl in member 11. Motor shaft 21 extends completely thro-ugh gear housing 10 and projec-ts into fan chamber 12. A fan 22, preferably molded of plastic and of one-piece construction, is screwed onto the end of sha-ft 21. Fan 22 is positioned with its eye centered above the opening in cover member 13 through which elbow 14 leads to fan chamber 12. A seal 23 is provi-ded around shaft 21 where it projects through support 9 into fan chamber 12. That portion of motor shaft 21 which extends between bearing 17 and seal 23 is formed with spur gear teeth to make a driving connection with the gears in housing 16. Support 9 is preferably an aluminum casting and has an integral continuous ilange 24- extending upward from the top surface thereof. The space enclosed by ilange 24 defines gear housing 1).

FIGURES 6 and 9 show the arrangement of gears in the housing defined by flange 24. A pair of spur gears 25 and 26 are mounted on brush shafts 27 and 28. A pair of idler spur gears 29 and 30 are mounted on sleeve bearings 31 and 32 on idler sha-fts 33 and 34. Another pair of idler spur gears 35 and 36 are mounted on sleeve bearings 31 and 32 `on top of gears 29 and 30. Brush shafts 27 and 28 are mounted in sleeve bearings 37 and 38 which are mounted in through bores 39 and 40 in support member 9. Brush shafts 27 and 28 are squared off near their ends as shown in FIGURE 9, and washers 41 and `42 are positioned between the squared off portions and sleeve bearings -37 and 38. Brush shafts 27 and 28 are suitably formed at their ends for attaching rotary brushes thereto. Idler shafts 33 and 34 are press t in bores 43 and 44 in support member 9 as shown in FIG- URE 9. As shown in FIGURE 6, motor shaft 21 eX- tends into the gear housing and the spur gear teeth on shaft 21 are in driving engagement with idler gear 30. Gear 3l) rotates sleeve bearing 32 which causes rotation of gear 36 to drive gear 26 on brush shaft 28. Gear 29 is driven by gear 30 and gear 25 on brush shaft 27 is driven through gear 35.

FIGURE 5 is a bottom view of combined motor support and gear housing cover 11. A continuous ilange 45 projects from member 11. Flange 45 has the same contour as flange 24 on support member 9. When member 11 is placed on top of ilange 24 flange 45 overhangs the outer edge of flange 24 as shown in FIGURE 3. As shown in FIGURES 5 and 6, member 11 and flange 45 are formed with suitable screw receiving bores for securing member 11 in place. Member 11 has a bore 51 through which motor shaft 21 projects. A pair of circular recesses 52 and 53 are formed in member 11 for receiving the top end portions of idler shafts 33 and 34. Recess 53 is accurately positioned with respect to bore 51 and is a close lt I on idler shaft 34. Recess 52 is a loose fit on idler shaft 33 and need not be positioned accurately with respect to bore 51. When member 11 is placed over fiange 24 on support 9 recess 53 lits over idler shaft 34 to accurately position motor shaft 21 in driving engagement with gear 30. The loose fit of idler shaft 33 in recess 52 permits a small amount of rotation of member 11 about idler shaft 34 to align the securing holes and motor shaft 21 still remains in proper driving engagement with gear 30.

FIGURE 7 shows the bottom of support member 9 having flange 46 projecting therefrom and terminating at 47 and 48 at the rear of support 9. The interior area of flange 46 defines fan chamber 12. A hole 49 through support 9 allows motor shaft 21 to project through support 9 into fan chamber 12. A small circular projection Si) surrounds hole 49 and the back of fan 22 is within the area defined by projection Sti as shown in FIGURE 3. Projection 50 prevents air flow between the back of fan 22 and support 9 so that dirt is kept away from seal 23. Fan chamber cover member 13, shown in FIGURE 8, has a flange 54 projecting therefrom and a hole 55 formed therein. When cover member 13 is placed over flange 46 on support 9 the projecting fiange S4 on cover 13 extends upward along the outside edge of flange 46 as shown in FIGURE 3. Hole 55 in cover 13 is in vertical alignment with hole 49 in support 9 and elbow 14 for the suction nozzle is secured in hole S as shown in FIGURE 3.

VFIGURE shows the manner in which motor cover 19 is secured to member 11. Cover 19 has horizontal tab portions as at 56 through which holes are formed to align with holes in member 11. Screws as at 57 are received in the holes to secure cover 19 to member 11 and hold bearing 18 firmly in place 4for supporting motor 16.

Means is provided for securing nozzle 7 in an upper position when the suction feature is not being used. FIG- UR-E 3 shows a spring steel strip 57 secured to the front of support 9. Strip 57 has a tang 58 struck therefrom for engagement with the bottom of projection 59 at the top of nozzle 7. To latch nozzle 7 in an upper position the suction-polishing device is tilted forward causing tang 58 to ride on the sloped upper edge of projection 59 until the springiness of strip 57 causes tang 58 to move beneath projection 59. To release nozzle 7 strip 57 is grasped with the fingers and bent outward thereby freeing projection 59 from tang 58. Instead of a tang as at 58 strip 57 could merely be formed with a hole in which projection 59 would engage.

FIGURE 1l shows the rear of the suction-polishing device with wheels 60 and 61 mounted on a shaft 62 journaled inU-shaped support 63 and secured to the yterminal portions 47 and 48 of flange 46 on the bottom of support 9 by screws 64 and 65. Cover member 13 is positioned between the fiange and U-shaped support 63. Projecting upward from the top surface of support 9 at the rear thereof are a pair of handle mounting lugs 66 and 67 which are suitably bored for receiving bolt 68 to secure handle 5 to support 9.

FIGURES 2 and 4 show spring steel strips 69 and 70 secured to support 9 by screws 71 and 72 which extend into recesses 73 and 74 in FIGURE 7. Spacer washers 75 and 76 space the heads of screws 71 and 72 from the bottom of support 9. Holes formed in strips 69 and 70 are larger in diameter than the vertical portion of washers 75 and 76 so that strips 69 and 70 are free to move between the bottom of support 9 and the heads of screws 71 and 72. Strips 69 and 70 are secured to the back of nozzle 7 by rivets 77 in FIGURE 4 or in any suitable manner. T-he mouth of nozzle 7 is supported a small distance above a floor by one inch brush strips 78 and 79. Nozzle 7 is free to shift sideways due to surface irregularities without interference from strips 69 and 70 because of the loose connection of the strips to support 9. Thus, strips 69 and 70 permit free movement of nozzle 7 vertically and sideways due to surface irregularities, and they also position nozzle 7 in its proper position in front of the brushes. If nozzle 7 is displaced rearward or twisted due to striking a molding or the like strips 69 and 70 automatically reposition the nozzle in its proper position.

Handle mounting lugs 67 and 68 have slots formed therein as shown at 91 in FIGURE 3. When handle securing bolt 68 is in the forward vertical portion of slot 91 the handle is free t-o pivot vertically about a horizontal axis on bolt 68. To raise the front end of the polishing device for transportation on wheels 60 and 61 the handle and handle bolt 68 are moved so that the bolt is in a position in the rear vertical portion `of slot 91. In this position the hollow bottom portion of handle 5 engages over a projection 92 extending upwardly from support 9 as shown in FIGURE 10. Handle 5 is then fixed against freely pivoting backward and the forward portion of the polishing device can be raised up, and the entire device transported on wheels 66 and 61. Of course, other suitable types of handle latches which are well known in the art could also be used.

It will be recognized by those skilled in the art that the present invention presents great advantages in manufacture and in the compactness of the device due to the novel arrangement of parts. The present invention utilizes a single main supporting member to which all other elements of a suction-polishing device are secured to provide a compact unitary device. By positioning the fan chamber below the main supporting member a tortuous and complicated air flow path is avoided and the danger of contaminating the speed reducing mechanism is practically eliminated.

It is to be understood that the embodiment of the invention described herein is only illustrative and is not to be taken in a limiting sense. The present invention includes all equivalent variations of the embodiment disclosed and is limited only by the scope of the claims.

I claim:

1. A fioor conditioning device comprising;

(a) a substantially flat body member defining a support having top and bottom surfaces and front and rear portions,

(b) a continuous integral upstanding Wall projecting upwardly from the top surface of said body mem- A ber and defining a gear enclosure,

(c) an integral depending wall projecting downwardly from the bottom surface of said body member and defining a fan enclosure having an open bottom,

(d) an opening in said depending wall at said rear portion of said body member and defining an air outlet,

(e) a motor and motor casing mounted on said upstanding wall, said motor casing closing the top of said gear enclosure,

(f) said motor having a shaft, said shaft projecting through said body member into said fan enclosure,

(g) a suction fan mounted on said shaft in said fan enclosure,

(h) a closure member secured to said body member and closing said open bottom of said fan enclosure,

(i) an air inlet opening in said closure member, said inlet opening being symmetrical about the rotational axis of said motor shaft,

(j) a speed reducing driving gear train in said gear enclosure -drivingly connected with said motor shaft,

(k) a pair of brush mounting shafts rotatably mounted on said body member and drivingly connected with said gear train, said brush mounting shafts projecting downwardly from said body member outside of said fan enclosure and on opposite sides thereof,

(l) a suction nozzle having an elongated inlet mouth,

said nozzle being positioned beneath said front portion of said .body member,

(m) a flexible hose having one end connected to said inlet opening in said closure member and another end connected to said nozzle,

(n) air inlet and outlet openings in said motor casing above said body member, and

(o) an air circulating motor cooling fan mounted on said motor shaft in said motor casing for circulating air through said motor casing between said inlet and outlet openings.

2. The device of claim 1 and further including a pair of spaced apart spring steel strips attached to said body member and to opposite ends of said nozzle, said strips being `deformable to permit rearward movement of said nozzle, said strips automatically repositioning said nozzle after rearward movement thereof.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS FOREIGN PATENTS 9/ 1952 Switzerland.

ROBERT W. MICHELL, Primary Examiner. 

1. A FLOOR CONDITIONING DEVICE COMPRISING; (A) A SUBSTANTIALLY FLAT BODY MEMBER DEFINING A SUPPORT HAVING TOP AND BOTTOM SURFACES AND FRONT AND REAR PORTIONS, (B) A CONTINUOUS INTEGRAL UPSTANDING WALL PROJECTING UPWARDLY FROM THE TOP SURFACE OF SAID BODY MEMBER AND DEFINING A GEAR ENCLOSURE, (C) AN INTEGRAL DEPENDING WALL PROJECTING DOWNWARDLY FROM THE BOTTOM SURFACE OF SAID BODY MEMBER AND DEFINING A FAN ENCLOSURE HAVING AN OPEN BOTTOM, (D) AN OPENING IN SAID DEPENDING WALL AT SAID REAR PORTION OF SAID BODY MEMBER AND DEFINING AN AIR OUTLET, (E) A MOTOR AND MOTOR CASING MOUNTED ON SAID UPSTANDING WALL, SAID MOTOR CASING CLOSING THE TOP OF SAID GEAR ENCLOSURE, (F) SAID MOTOR HAVING A SHAFT, SAID SHAFT PROJECTING THROUGH SAID BODY MEMBER INTO SAID FAN ENCLOSURE, (G) A SUCTION FAN MOUNTED ON SAID SHAFT IN SAID FAN ENCLOSURE, (H) A CLOSURE MEMBER SECURED TO SAID BODY MEMBER AND CLOSING SAID OPEN BOTTOM OF SAID FAN ENCLOSURE, (I) AN AIR INLET OPENING IN SAID CLOSURE MEMBER, SAID INLET OPENING BEING SYMMETRICAL ABOUT THE ROTATIONAL AXIS OF SAID MOTOR SHAFT, (J) A SPPED REDUCING DRIVING GEAR TRAIN IN SAID GEAR ENCLOSURE DRIVINGLY CONNECTED WITH SAID MOTOR SHAFT, (K) A PAIR OF BRUSH MOUNTING SHAFT ROTATABLY MOUNTED ON SAID BODY MEMBER AND DRIVINGLY CONNECTED WITH SAID GEAR TRAIN, SAID BRUSH MOUNTING SHAFTS PROJECTING DOWNWARDLY FROM SAID BODY MEMBER OUTSIDE OF SAID FAN ENCLOSURE AND ON OPPOSITE SIDES THEREOF, (L) A SUCTION NOZZLE HAVING AN ELONGATED INLET MOUTH, SAID NOZZLE BEING POSITIONED BENEATH SAID FRONT PORTION OF SAID BODY MEMBER, (M) A FLEXIBLE HOSE HAVING ONE END CONNECTED TO SAID INLET OPENIGN IN SAID CLOSURE MEMBER AND ANOTHER END CONNECTED TO SAID NOZZLE, (N) AIR INLET AND OUTLET OPENINGS IN SAID MOTOR CASING ABOVE SAID BODY MEMBER, AND (O) AN AIR CIRCULATING MOTOR COOLING FAN MOUNTED ON SAID MOTOR SHAFT IN SAID MOTOR CASING FOR CIRCULATING AIR THROUGH SAID MOTOR CASING BETWEEN SAID INLET AND OUTLET OPENINGS. 